At Purdue, a softer form of evangelism is well-established

7:42 PM,
Oct. 6, 2012

Tanner Nielsen, left, is a 26-year-old Mormon seeking a master's degree. Aurangzeb, 31, is a Muslim and also a graduate student. Mackenzie Lechlitner is a senior and a 23-year-old Christian. All three are Purdue University students.

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The practice of spreading one's faith is an important calling for followers of major religions.

For Christians, it's called evangelism - the process used to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Muslims call it tableegh, meaning to deliver the message, or da'wah, to invite to the path of God. Jews are called to be a "light unto the nations," living as an example set by the Torah that inspires others to follow the same path.

Student believers feel this calling as well. Although campus ministry took a back seat to the sexual revolution and anti-establishment sentiment in the late 1960s, evangelical ...